Winning acclaim for his Dream Girl act, Manjot Singh rues the industry’s practice to stereotype turban-sporting actors
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 20, 2019)
“Ayushmann [Khurrana] is the reason I said yes to the film,” says Manjot Singh, who is seen as the protagonist’s friend in Dream Girl. Such is his faith in Khurrana’s choice of scripts that he agreed to be part of the Raaj Shaandilyaa-directed comedy even before the narration. “When I heard the synopsis, I was game. I don’t believe in reading the script beforehand as the ones working on it are experts. I decide on projects basis the people I will be working with.”
It was in 2008 that Singh burst on the scene with immense promise — the actor had bagged several awards for his role in the black comedy, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2008). A decade and a string of films later, the actor admits that his career has not shaped up the way he had envisioned it. He points out that the industry’s tendency to pigeon-hole a turban-sporting actor as a comic sidekick leaves him with little room to explore different characters. “People perceive Sardars as character actors. What pinches me is that makers will approach me only for a comic role; they are not open to the idea of offering me a serious role. It hurts me that movies typecast Sardars as the funny guy. They think we can only make people laugh. I hope [filmmakers] make an attempt to break this stereotype. I am keen to portray roles that offer more than comic relief.”
Movies tend to typecast Sardars as the funny guy – Manjot Singh
